Tasmania or Samoa

[Greg H]

If you had a choice, where would you spend a week?

[paladin]

Tasmania......because I have never been there...and the last time I wuz in Samoa it wuz pretty dirty....

[Wild Wassa]

Greg H, Hi Mate.

Middle Earth, also known as New Zealand, looks very nice.

All snake posts have been removed.

Warren.

[ 07-06-2004, 05:16 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Ariel]

Well, I thought I wanted to go to Australia....maybe in the winter. Surely they sleep then, right? New Zealand is looking better and better--come on September!

[Greg H]

I'll take you up on that Warren, probably mid Feb :D Just don't scare me too bad..... I was camping in Australia before in ignorant bliss..

I've been to NZ a couple of times, it's beautiful, need to go somewhere new, though.....

I guess I should have said Western Samoa, to differentiate from American Samoa

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Um, Ariel, I think September is the start of summer down there. Remember, everything is upside down. :D

Steven

[bamamick]

What are you going to be doing there? To be honest I have never thought about either one. I have visited, I don't know, 12-13 countries, and probably 35 states. I am not a great traveller. Do not consider myself expert at it at all. One thing that I have learned: it doesn't really matter to me where I am, if it's someplace that I have never been I am usually interested and entertained, at least for the first few days. Besides, if worst comes to worst, I can always just sit and read.

This year so far my wife and I have spent a week on the Florida Gulf Coast at Seaside, been to Key West twice, New Orleans for a weekend, are going to the mountains in northern Georgia in August, and will be in Southwest Harbor, Maine in October.
I have found that I get very cranky if I don't go someplace every so often. Do you feel like that?
I have also found that I like to take lots of little trips instead of one big one.

If I could go anywhere outside of North America right now, I would go to New Zealand. The north island to do some sailing, the south to do some walking. I would really like to visit there some time. I have seen films on Tasmania. I don't recall much about Western Samoa.

Well, I know that they've got a big Dragon fleet in Hobart, so I will cast my lot with Tasmania. It's an island, right? Got to be a lot of neat things to do on an island. I've found that even the little islands around here are their own cool, little worlds. Can't go wrong, can you?

Mickey Lake

[Wild Wassa]

Tassy is the jewel of Australia, Shamus is a Tasmanian he will know, drop him an email.

One of my old friends Bill Burford, was a Tasmanian and probably one of the most dedicated bushwalkers I've known. He told me before he died that the thing to do in Tassy is to do a walk on Freycinet Peninsular on the central eastern coast. You start at the township of Coles Bay and walk to the end of the peninsular (about three days walk I think he said) and catch a boat back (which has to be pre arranged in Coles Bay, this would need checking). Bill did many of the World's great walks, and swore that Freycinet was the class act within a great bunch. The other great event in Tassy is to raft down the Franklin River through the cool temperate rainforests. The old growth forests of the Franklin River are something to behold.

They are as beautiful, as the cool temperate forests of the NW US, only you will have trouble seeing another person. When we say wilderness experience in Australia, we are not joking. It would take too long to list the gazetted wilderness areas and detail the World biosphere region ... and these are the places people go to. You should see the ones people don't visit.

Greg, would you like me to put a package together of mostly non touristy things to do around here and post it to you? All based on our natural environment and heritage, with a few good touristy thing added. I'll include serious maps, not tourist maps, and taking into account that you are visiting during the height of the fire season, when a lot of areas will be closed and locked, for safety reasons.

Our botanic gardens in Canberra are very fine, I'm glad that they didn't get torched last year. All of the ACT's arboretums and forests (5 pine plantations survived, the ones they should have let burn) were torched and have been lost forever. We used to be the bush Capital, now we are the open woodland Capital.

Warren.

ps, I was looking at a US brochure about wilderness tours in Australia, and it said, that the drive between Sydney and Canberra is a wilderness experience, :D . Frog-ship it is, this is not a wilderness experience at all, this is travelling on a super highway. Wilderness doesn't have roads or snig tracks (or a township every 50 to 100 kilometres) or trig stations or fire towers or permanent manmade objects.

[ 07-05-2004, 05:06 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Greg H]

That would be great Warren, I'm not sure how much father of the bride, New grandpa stuff, I'll be able to do without escaping for a while :D

The last week I'm reserving to loose myself...
Just wander with my backpack and look at things..... The idea of a small island in the middle of the Pacific is appealing..... the draw back is that it's always hot and humid..... So Taz is a possible option, I was reading about walking the Freycinet Peninsula just last night.. it looks beautiful..... I've got time to decide on the details, Just need to book the main flight soon.
Greg

[Wild Wassa]

No worries Mate.

Warren.

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by bamamick:
"I have found that I get very cranky if I don't go someplace every so often. Do you feel like that?"

Too true. Maybe not cranky, but certainly fractious.

Goethe wrote, "lose touch with nature lose touch with yourself." I don't know if truer words have been written.

Warren.

[ 07-03-2004, 09:34 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Dingo]

Now would yer lookit that?... I mean how many posts it gonna take before someone mentions Best Aussie mmmm??? I mean Tassie??? whasat? a pimple on the bum of Aussie thats what!... even the Aussie Olymipic mob forgot it :rolleyes: but Shamus is a constant reminder of the nice things about the dot on our bum tongue.gif

Tassie?? the land of apples of Port Arthur and wonderous wooden boats? Tassie? and then yer yammerin on about flamin Canberra? gak whoooee only polititians hang out there and we know what them buggars are like! :mad: oh and wild wassa of course and we know what a mad bloody galah he is!

Sooo come on what about the best Aussie eh? forget Queensland mob of bloody posers {cept Bernie and David the other forumits that hang out in that place and your mob of course} forget New South Wales mob of stuck up snobs with garden parties that mob {cept TonyH and Ian and other forumites of course} Forget Victoria bunch of pussies that mob {cept ol Mike of Fields Skuthorp and other forumites of course} Forget South Aussie and the catspiss Southwark and Coopers drinking mob of demented galahs over there {cepting Peter Doorstop and Phil Young and other forumites of course!}

That leaves??? West Aussie > Best Aussie!! :cool: and the Territory but hell were the same anyways West Aussies Territorians same critter ;) so forget the mad buggars up there as well!

Now West Aussie > Best Aussie > Wait Awhile has it all best weather best beaches best women best booze best tucker best of the outback hell outback we have all sorts! the onliest state to have all of em in one package! We gots pure bush wildreness deserts snow capped mountains bungle bungles Karajini national park Ningallo reef BROOME tropical oasis at Millstream station Oyster farming Pearl farming Croc farming hell we gots everything!!! :cool:

HECK!! we even got more deadly critters than them eastern state galahs! crocs redback spiders black snake king brown snakes death adder and a whole bunch more just for your enjoyment! Come on over if it dont kill yer you'll have a ball :D

We even gots woodent boats! just gotta go find em cause theyre not on show theyre bein used! :cool:

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Shane, If I had a trust fund or if I hit the lottery I'd be headin' down to the Travel Agent to buy some tickets! My first stop would be Kaos Kingdom!

Steven

[Wild Dingo]

:D and the door would be open and barbie on!

I may have to give you the roo burger Ive been hangin onto for Chuck since hes takin his sweet time about gettin here :rolleyes: ... an possumpoop is gettin a tad bothered by the weird smell eminating from the freezer :eek: But Im sure Chuck wont mind if you have it for him bein mates an all :cool: its only a few months old... well okay a year... or so :eek: ... mmmm okay so Im gonna have to either eat it or chuck it shortly if he doesnt lob up say within the next year or so :D

:D nah Id get yer a newy no worries! :cool:

[ 07-03-2004, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: Wild Dingo ]

[Wild Wassa]

Greg don't read this please, it will ruin your surprise.

Dingo our local markets sell live Yabbies, the biggest Yabbies you have ever seen, they would scare the living daylights out of both your Marons and Dugites and those Croweating King Lobsters. Don't talk to we Eastern Staters about hospitality Mate, and don't waste that Roo steak, post it over here. I was hoping to fatten Greg up on a few kilos of monster Yabbies. I wonder if Greg would also eat Bogongs ... they are very fattening, Bogongs will be right in season.

Your Roo would be just coming of age too, like a good road kill?

It would be not nice to send Greg home under fed.

Greg, start reading from here again please.

Cheers,

Warren.

[ 07-04-2004, 01:35 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Dingo]

:D Mate Im in full agreeance if he doesnt leave our fine shores without adding a fair few pounds of excess spare tyres around his girth it wont be cause we aint been trying! :D

Mate just feed em up to him mutter "theyre great tucker mate just eat im up she'll be right no worries" I got no intention of tellin him what hes eatin or drinkin when he lobs up on me doorstep! wouldnt be fair to the poor tourist now would it :D :D whitchetty grub on toast anyone?!! tongue.gif

[Meerkat]

Yabbies are crayfish... ;)

I lived for a year and a half in WA in the US Navy, and I can't say I noticed any land snakes (aside from some 2 legged sorts), but I did see some number of sea snakes! :eek: They're QUITE poisonous too. Also the cone shells, which makes it very inadvisable to go wading barefooted on the (dead coral) reefs. I don't know if they had blue-ringed octopi in this area, but there where some other types of octopi - good eating. One of the sailor's japanese wife took us out at the crak of dawn to spear a few. I stepped on a small sand shark and FLEW back to the beach! The shark went the other way as fast as he was able too! :D

I also saw a few red back spiders ("red bahk spidah mate"), no end of roo, parrots (forget the name - rose crested ones - cocatoo?) and a few emu. Endless numbers of giant (10'+) termite mounds, and HORDES of black flies! (one absolutely must stand facing into the wind if one wasn't to be engulfed by them - the back of a blue cambric shirt would look like it was polka-dotted all over). Must have been the wrong country for budgies, as I never saw one of those. ;)

Oh, and did I mention how bloody HOT it was in the summer? 110-120 was a typical day and a few times it got over 130! It would cool off into the 80's or 90's at night and it was remarkable as to how chilly that could feel after the day. A few times it stayed hot at night and then it was like humidity came up out of the ground and it smelled like new-turned dirt, but kind of moldy smelling too. Lots of red sandy/clay soil, called "pindant" (or "pindan"?) that would stain white uniforms pink in the wash. The ground was so hot that the sand would wear out the stitching in regular shoes within a few weeks, so we where all issued chukka boots, and those would last about a year.

I don't know about now, but back then, roo meat was considered something one fed the tourists, especially the tail. You see, flies lay eggs under their skin and they get maggots... (or so I was told!)

[ 07-04-2004, 02:42 AM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[MarkC]

Perth (Western Australia) is the most isolated city in the World - meaning no other major population centres within easy reach. And yes, it does have an effect on the population. They are - 'a little bit different'.

Edited to add = :rolleyes: smile.gif :cool: redface.gif :( :mad: :D ;)

[ 07-04-2004, 05:07 AM: Message edited by: MarkC ]

[MarkC]

If you go to Samoa you can visit the Australian troops stationed there to keep the waring factions from hacking each other to bits...

[Meerkat]

Mark; Errr... It's (American) Samoa... I doubt there are too many Aussie troops there. Perhaps you where thinking of East Timor? ;)

If Perth is isolated, consider living 800 miles N. of it! That's where I was, at a spy fleck on the map called Exmouth. It's on the inside of penninsula that makes up Northwest Cape (Exmouth Gulf).
http://www.auinfo.com/australia-pictures/map/Carnarvon_map.jpg

At the end of the 1960's there was one partially paved road that was frequently washed out connecting Exmouth to the outside world. Carnarvon is 250 miles to the S and Perth anther 550 miles S of that!

[Ariel]

September is in the springtime for New Zealand. Winter is now. Mickey, Louise Douglas and I are flying to Auckland, catching another plane to Vanuatu where we will pick up the Soren Larsen tall ship for 10 days then back to Auckland to tour some before heading back home. Will be gone 21 days--a dream come true! I, like you, normally prefer short trips, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. Very excited.

[Wild Dingo]

aahahh you noticed were a tad different over here did you Mark? :D no worries we dont mind a bit who'd really wanna be the same like all them other fellas eh? not us mob in Wait Awhile! :cool:

Meer MY COUNTRY!!! ahhh yes indeedy... see that Gascoyne River well just below it right on the lower left hand corner there? Carnarvon... ahhh home!... see up above Exmouth a "place" called Peedamulla? well its not a place at all its a station {ranch} and it was the first station I worked on as a jackaroo {cowboy} when I left the mission in me younger days... the next one up is "Mardie" its not a place either its another station ;) I love our maps!! theyre known to confuse tourists to the max!... I mean theyre drawn up so the stations look like theyre towns and when the poor bloody tourist lobs up there stunned by the fact that theres nothin there!!! HA!! tongue.gif

Yes Exmouth... what town that was when yous Yanks were in residence with your "bud" beer and weird accents what a hoot for us local fellas :D

You would find it pretty changed mate... well okay not much but they are making a marina up there!! too right some bright spark thought that Coral Bay would be the ideal spot but see us fellas kicked up a stink and so the developers moved it up to Exmouth... was gonna be just outside of Coral Bay on Mauds Landing and would have devistated the reef which is one of the most pristine coral reefs left at Ningaloo... so Exmouth got it... wonderful!!! well for anyone owning land or houses up there talk about a windfall!

Your talking about the red crested black cockatoo or the pink and grey Meer? galahs the lot of em different color same critter mads screamin buggars with feathers

If yabbies are crayfish you were eatin bloody small crays mate! and yabbies are fresh water as well as bein small... dead coral? mmmm... okay maybe around the base cause of all their dumping into the sea and such but some of the most perfect an stunningly alive coral reef in the world is in the Ningaloo marine park mate... octapus didnt you see the stingers?!! man you were lucky! buggars can kill and when their stings wrap around you mate its more than painfull its pure and utter agony... saw a story on a young surf lifesaver who accidently drank one! apparently some yob had put one into a water bottle and slipped it into the frige to take to a lab to be tested and such but this young fella got reallly thirsty ripped open the fridge grabbed the first water bottle and guzzled... mmmm near died the poor buggar! but anyways theyre rife all through those waters north of Carnarvon... the sand shark is known as a wobbleygong mate ;)

as for the flies... well here its called the great australian salute and no one is immune to its allure :D

ahhh thanks for the trip down memory lane mates!

And by the by... dont believe that Wassa fella... Roo is delectuamungous! absoflaminlutely and its obveious that ol Warren bein from Canberra has never had proper blackfella cooked roo else he would never say such things about the bestest tucker in Aussie! :cool:

[NormMessinger]

"Australia has 13 of the world's fastest and most deadly snakes."

I've seen at least a half dozen of those very same species here in Omaha. They are beautiful things, to be sure.

[Wild Dingo]

Originally posted by NormMessinger:
"Australia has 13 of the world's fastest and most deadly snakes."

I've seen at least a half dozen of those very same species here in Omaha. They are beautiful things, to be sure.And pretty much all of em live somewhere in Wait Awhile! ;) You know theyve found the Sydney Funnel Web spider over here? yes indeed we now have pretty much all the mean bastards in Aussie over here... personally I think its a bit of a conspiricy by them eastern states yobbos yep they seem to think that if they send their Cane Toads and Funnel Web Spiders over here somehow it will placate us and maybe the buggars will bite us and then theres no more sandgropers to worry their wee heads about anymore... dopey eh? :rolleyes: I mean scared of a frog and a spider? HA! I spit on their frogs! HA! I spit on their funnel web spiders! tongue.gif Up the Wait Awhile revolution! Susseed or however the hell its spelt! yes its about time West Aussie cut the ties with the rest of this country and became simly BEST AUSSIE and left the other buggars behind!... well we carry them fellas so why not? :cool:

Beautiful? Joe Blakes are beautiful?? :eek: What planet did you say you came from Granpaw?!! :rolleyes: the only beautiful Joe Blake I ever saw was the one I was eating!... other than that there the ugliest meanest most revolting things this side of anywhere! I HATE THEM WITH A PASSION!! Evil bastards everyone of them... worse than cats is snakes! :mad:

[Meerkat]

Shane; The birds I recall where white (no doubt about that) and maybe a bit bigger than a pigeon. It just might be that their topnots where yellow and not red or pink. I only saw them a couple of times (small flocks) and it's been nearly 35 years ago now. No doubt of their body being quite white though.

The ocean going forms of "crayfish" are called lobster in the US. There was a rock lobster processing plant about 30-ish miles S of Exmouth back then. Once in a while, the Supply Officer would find it in his budget to have them offered up at the mess hall. (Um... and sorry, but they can't hold a candle to the taste and texture of a good Maine lobster!)

I found something on the web about Exmouth being a tourist destination and that the USN base is still there! I had heard that it was long gone, but maybe not. (?)

The reefs inside the gulf where quite dead. We where told that it was due to a tidal wave about 1901 that had also wiped out the local aborigine population. Something to do with the Krakatoa eruption, I think they said. A troupe (band?) of aborigines came to Exmouth at one point and did some dancing (ceremonies) and I think it was then that the tabu status of the penninsula was mentioned due to this tidal wave that had virtually engulfed the area. (The only thing the USN put into the sea was hot sea water that had gotten that way by virtue of being pumped up from deep under ground, quite cold, and used to air-condition things.

I can't speak to the state of the ocean-side reefs. Back then, there was only one extremely rough road to the other side and no public or rental transportation was available. Some people did get over there, but they where few, and I was not one of them (alas!). There was said to be a natural fresh water spring over there right by the ocean.

[ 07-04-2004, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[Wild Wassa]

Mark C, the Solomon Islands.

Warren.

[ 07-06-2004, 03:04 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Meerkat]

Copperheads are a kind of rattlesnake - quite venomous.

[stan v]

Copperheads are not similar (except for being venomous) to rattlesnakes. They are related to cottonmouths (which are much more poisnonous and nasty)....I like both snakes, they eat rats.

[Wild Wassa]

I have not seen a rat, not once. I don't even think that I've seen a native rat.

Warren.

[ 07-06-2004, 03:05 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[bamamick]

Yeah, our Copperheads are not Rattlers, and they are poisonous. Very much so. In my neck of the woods we are inundated with Copperheads, Pygmy and Diamondback Rattlers, and of course, water Moccosins. I guess that I worry more about the Mocs more than any other kind of snake, since there seem to be so many of them around, but in all honesty I don't really worry about any of them. I just make sure that I tap on stuff before I go to pick it up or move it. Just let them know that you're there. They'll usually scoot.

Our most dangerous snake is supposedly the Coral snake, which we in Mobile had the honor of introducing to North America via the banana docks down here. They look just like what we call a King snake, except the color pattern is different. Red, black, white. One of them will kill you, the other is harmless. I would imagine a lot of innocent Kings have been killed over the years.

We've also got spiders, 'gators, and lots of other jungly creatures down where I live. One of the places that I kayak I have to run the 'gator gauntlet to get out into the river. Sometimes with all of our modern comforts we forget that we live on the same latitude as Cairo.

I was in Germany several years ago and was talking to some guys that were getting ready to come to Alabama to help us start up a plant. We got to talking about things like malaria, poisonous snakes, 14' 'gators, and the like. It was funny to see their reactions to the things that we live with all the time. Well, we don't get malaria, but you know. I guess it's a good thing that I didn't tell them that bears are making a big comeback down here. Might have worried them a wee bit. hehehe.

Mickey Lake

[Paul Pless]

In central Alabama the copperhead is our most dangerous snake (ie, most likely to bite). Its because they are well camoflauged in piney forest floors and they don't run off or warn you like a rattler or a moccassin typically would. Supposedly an extremely painfull bite as well.

[bamamick]

Paul, do you guys have Brown Recluse spiders up there? Supposedly they have been around for awhile, but I don't remember them from when I was a kid. Those things are terrible, and it seems that they are everywhere down here. One of my daughters had a spider bite of some kind and we went ahead and put her in the hospital. It turned out that it was not a Brown Recluse, but I did not want to take any chances.

Mickey Lake

[Wild Wassa]

I've had a bite from a White Tail spider, when I sat on one on a hairdresser's chair. White Tails are furniture dwellers. They cause re-occurring infections, which is why they are reported as dangerous. I've had no problems to date, that was about a decade ago now.

Warren.

ps, I never smile at a crocodile ... so what don't you do to a gator?

[ 07-06-2004, 03:06 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[bamamick]

Gators are not as agressive as crocs. I didn't think that we had crocs up here until a couple of weeks ago. I was in Key West,Florida and the news there reported that there is a crocodile population of several hundred in the Ochachobee (sic?) swamp. Every now and then someone will get killed by a gator, but it's very rare.

What they do seem to like, though, is dogs. Maybe it's an urban legend, but I have heard all of my life that a gator will get a taste for dogs. Usually those gators start hanging out close to homes and it's not long before Animal Control comes and 'controls' (aka, kills) them.

I have never had any problems from alligators. I have kayaked between two big 'uns that I could have slapped with my paddle had I been so inclined. I have sat on the deck of one of my boats at the yacht club and watched them swim in and out of the harbor. Like any large, predatory animal, they are to be treated with great respect, but for the most part they mind their own business.

Mickey Lake

[Wild Wassa]

In Australia crocs are found north of the Mulgrave River in Queensland, 2000 k’s from here ... which appears to be about a safe distance.

As an inland sailor the most dangerous thing that I'll run into is a submerged stump

Warren.

[bamamick]

Those things you guys have down there are too damn big to be called crocs. They ought to have some other name, some kind of terrible dinosaur name. Those things make me nervous just watching them on television. Yikes.

Are you on Lake Macquerie (sic?)? At one time there was a big Star fleet there. Isn't that lake a man-made lake?

I've always wanted to visit Australia. My problem with visiting a place such as your country is that it is so vast. Where do you start? How can you see any place in the one or two week visit that most of us call a vacation? And I've still got a lot of places here in the U.S. and Canada that I'd like to see. But I'd sure like to visit you guys one day.

Mickey Lake

[MarkC]

....Sam .. Solomons.. damn - engage brain before typing!

[Stiletto]

I remember reading that large crocs have been seen a long way off the coast of the Cape York Peninsula.
When I was in North Queensland nearly 30 years ago,the locals were talking about a 14ft6" water python that someone had caught. It apparently bit one of the guys trying to put it in the bag. Being a Kiwi and knowing nothing about snakes I said 'but they're not poisonous', there reply was that it had a head on it the size of a very large dog and damn near took his kneecap off! Jeez!

It's a poisonous bloody country!

[bamamick]

Oh my. O.K., the Aussies win, hands down. I have been watching nature and wildlife shows all of my life, but I had no idea that the 'salties' grew to 33', or that you guys had 15' pythons. And the thing about the frogs that spit poison on you? Egad, what a place!

It must be a very different kind of life cohabiting with such beasts. Of course, our Alaskan and western Canadian friends have this thing called the Grizzly, and I would imagine that you would have to take him into consideration if you lived around there. I know that on my trips out west that I have been very aware that there were cougars/pumas/mountain lions in the vicinity. Just not something that we have at home.

Lots of dangerous critters in the world. One of the things that makes life interesting, I suppose.

Mickey Lake

[PeterSibley]

Wassa..........that white tip spider, really no ill effects ?Those things have a very evil reputation.I've got a mate who was bitten....horrible rotting kind of wound that took ages to heal :( .The doctors had some new treatment so at least it did heal! In the old days the bite just continued digesting itself.Some kind of enzeme in the venom.

About crocs...there is no way I would sail in a small(overturnable) boat in far Nth Queenland or the Territory.I spent 3 years in the bush up on Cape York as a young bloke and saw some VERY large crocs and lots of them.Theres nothing thats going to stop one short of an infantry rifle and you're not allowed to have one in Oz! smile.gif

[shamus]

Uh.. Greg you should be able to fill a week up in Tassie I would think, it's quite a nice spot. Lend you a whilly boat if you like to make you feel at home. smile.gif

[Wild Dingo]

Shamus I was just going to suggest the best bet for a quick one or two week visit would be Tassy. :cool: .. small place just a quick and easy 2 week jaunt :D and lets not start mentioning those pesky Tassy Devils or Tigers eh? ;)

But seriously... Mickey having spent pretty much all my life throughout the Gascoyne, Pilbara, Kimberlies and Territory and loving every moment of it! :cool: even I gotta admit Aussie is a bloody big spot and well some tourists come stay for a week or so zapping by plane from one city to the next or one tourist camp to the next and mate to be honest they dont see squat of our country... guess many Aussies do that with the US eh? do a quick 6 week jaunt across the states and then reckon theyve seen it all... dopey buggars! :rolleyes:

Your gonna need a good 12 months visa just to see Wait Awhile then well you will be up around the Territory border when that runs out... so you will then need another 6 - 12 months visa to have a good gander around up there... but even thats too short in either place your only just touching on it Queenslands the same I guess although I found it a bit pathetic below Cairns just another coastal strip really inlands reasonably interesting... NSW? okay some interesting spots along the coast and inland but maybe 2 months would do... Vic and the ACT? a couple of months in each would see you right... South Aussie you could get lost in the Barrosa Valley wine region for months! ;) but once you get past Port Augusta youve got Ceduna and the surfing with sharks out there but naught else till Wait Awhile... mmmm hey I forgot the old telegraph station at Eucla didnt I? buggar better drive across the nallabor! but if you go north go the inland route up through Parachilna and Oodnadatta beautiful country... Ayres Rock or Ularo as its now known as is a dot in the middle of nowhere really I was personally unimpressed with it the two times Ive been there Mt. Augustus here in WA is a whole lot more stunning and theres a mountain in Queensland that stands out... oh and you better take a month or so while in Queensland to take in Cape Trip and the Atherton Tablelands you'll kick yourself if you dont.

oooh remember dont swim in the Fitzroy, Mary or Kathrine Rivers!!! Just dont do it!... nah nothing to do with crocs just that once you swim in those rivers you will never be content till you come back and stay

mmmm so when you come over mate plan on stayin around 5 years or so... and then if your like a couple of other Americans and Canadians Ive met in me wanderins you will just think "buggar this Im stayin!" and so you will... :cool:

Oh crocs have been spotted as low down this coast as Exmouth and quite a few sightings around Onslow and Port Headland... Broome and Derby have quite a few but the worst place on the coast for crocs is Wyndham buggars still hang around the old Abbatoir jetty... big buggars too!!

I did three laps of this country over some 20 years and still have much to see... although I do admit nowadays that I should have gone overseas on that last trip before we got married ... ah well no worries :cool:

[Meerkat]

With those sea-going crocasaurses, I would think a dink would just be the crunchy part the nice tasty human(s) came in - and the mast would make a handy toothpick! ;) :D

[Meerkat]

When dreaming about a return trip to Oz, I was quite interested in the bus tours. Some of them are from lodging to lodging (hotel, motel) and some of them are camping trips with the tents et. al. in trailers behind the buses (and they included some hotel/motel stays), all fully catered. Some of them lasted a whole month and went from Sydney, up to Darwin, down through Alice Springs to Adelaide and across to Brisbane, Melbourne and back to Sydney. As I recall, that one was about $2,000AU per person, all inclusive. There was another loop that did the western half of the country. Also shorter trips - for example, 14 days up the east coast with longer stays in some of the more interesting tourist spots.

Prices have doubtless gone up in the intervening years.

[ 07-05-2004, 05:32 AM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[Wild Dingo]

Actually thinking on this there were a couple of larrikins a few years back now that did a kayak trip all along the kimberley coast if memory serves they sure had some interesting close encounters with crocs along the way :eek:

sigh some fellas will do anything for their moment in the sun eh?! not my prefered method of transport in those waters but they did it and survived :cool:

[Meerkat]

Something in a nice 50 mm steel hull would suit me if I had to take such a trip. No WAY would I to it for "pleasure" ;)

[shamus]

Ah Shane, are we trying to scare of the tourists here or only the property developers? The devils won't hurt you unless you're dead in which case they'll eat you. And if you can snap a tiger the sky's the limit. They probably are about, but until one walks down Elizabeth St. they won't officially be about. Actually the devils are in steep decline right now with a nasty contagion which manifests itself as huge tumours on the face. No-one seems to know the cause, but it won't surprise me if it turns out to be some secondary effect from 1080. Snakes won't hurt you either. I was bit by a half grown Tiger when I was three. Me dear old Mum did all the wrong things, cut, sucked& spat, tourniquet etc and I still survived. Before the anti venine that was too. Didn't do my liver much good though apparently.

[PeterSibley]

You're a lucky man Shamus !! smile.gif I've had two mates bitten by tigers, neither died but one came close and they were strong adult males in their 30's.Definitely to be avoided !One was hit while brush hooking lantana, the other in his sleeping bag during the night...the snake thought he would make a good hot water bottle. :eek:

[PeterSibley]

By the way you'd be a bit cool down there right now? I've been to Tassy 4 times....once in the Summer.It has a very nice Summer.I've decided that its not the place for motorcycle touring during Winter :D :D I think sometimes I suffer from very poor judgement ;)

[Paul Pless]

Mickey,

We do have Brown Recluse spiders here, and they are as feared and to be avoided as you treat them. Fortunately, I've never been bitten, but I've seen the damage they can do. What an aweful bite. We don't have as many snake bites here in Alabama as you might think we would. I see snakes all the time in the woods, in and on the rivers, in my barn.....

Having said that, the first death I have heard of in a long time from a snake bite happened here just last week. I think on a Friday afternoon a member of a survey crew decided to jump in the Coosa River here in Wetumpka and was attacked by more than one water moccassin. He died while receiving treatment at the local hospital. Sounds a bit unusual. He had multiple bites, but it still seems he went pretty quick. I've had dogs bitten by both rattlers and copperheads and despite painful and long recoveries they both survived.

Perhaps I should be more cautious but I don't let a fear of snakes curtail any outdoor activities. I've personally only been threatened by snakes twice (that I know of). One time I retreated, very quickly, very goofily, very white dudish, if you know what I mean. The other time was during a quail hunt, and I never even saw the snake, but apparently it was about to strike me when my friend jumped beside me and shot it. We were walking in tall wiregrass, and I was wearing tall and heavy boots so I may not have been injured, but just the same I'm glad my friend saw it.

Paul

[Wild Dingo]

Originally posted by PeterSibley:
I think sometimes I suffer from very poor judgement Dont worry Peter ol son its an Aussie thing ;) well its an east coast thing at least us Wait Awhile fellas dont suffer it tongue.gif ... much? :eek:

I think you might mean the Tazzy Devils right mate? As I understand it from Shamus and others the Tazzy Tiger is sorta extinct? :eek: bit hard to get bit by an extinct buggar eh? :rolleyes: man that Tazzy booze is good stuff!!! :D

[MarkC]

With the snake (and other bites) its not just the damage the poison is doing (it may not be a really poisonous snake - it can also be the 'reaction' - allergic reaction you can have to the poison - and, unfortunately, the antidote!

First - got to get to hospital where you are put under observation in intensive care - if the poison is going into your system and if the medical staff think you are ready they inject the antidote and wait for an allegic reaction. Stabilise you again - then you can go home!

[Meerkat]

Originally posted by shamus:
Didn't do my liver much good though apparently.Was that the snake - or all the beeah that came latah? ;)

What's 1080?

[Meerkat]

These questions aboutAustralia were posted on an Australian Toursim
Website and obviously the answers came from a fellow Aussie.
Amusing especially the Vienna Boys' Choir one.

1. Q: Does it ever get windy inAustralia? I have never seen it rain on TV, so how do the plants grow? (UK)
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

2. Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you've been drinking

3. Q: I want to walk fromPerthtoSydney- can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water...

4. Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes inAustralia?
(Sweden)
A: So its true what they say about Swedes.

5. Q: It is imperative that I find the names and addresses of places to contact for a stuffed porpoise. (Italy)
A: Let's not touch this one.

6. Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) inAustralia? Can you send me a list of them inBrisbane,Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay?(UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?

7. Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia?(USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the pacific which does not... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.

8. Q: Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 90 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

9. Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

10. Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna BoysChoir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

11. Q: Do you have perfume in Australia? (France)
A: No, WE don't stink.

12. Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it inAustralia(USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

13. Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia? (UK)
A: You are a British politician, right?

14. Q: Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.

15. Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.

16. Q: Are there killer bees in Australia? (Germany)
A: Not yet, but for you, we'll import them.

17. Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilisation of vegan hunter gatherers. Milk is illegal.

18. Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australiawho can dispense rattlesnake serum.USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

19. Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. (USA)
A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

21. Q: I was in Australiain 1969 on R+R, and I want to contact the girl I dated while I was staying in Kings Cross. Can you help? (USA)
A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour.

22. Q: Will I be able to speek English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.

:D

I can't vouch for the veracity of this. It was sent to me by a Kiwi friend. I did take out the part about the sheep being tied to the lamp post in the city being what passed for an entertainment centre in Australia though... ;)

[NormMessinger]

"Norm, don't tell me Aussie snakes are now feral over there? ... bad luck. Don't walk too quietly."

No no, I'm not telling you that. They are in the new Desert Dome exhibit in the Henry Dorley Zoo. There is a good sized section of the Desert Dome dedicated to Australian reptiles all nicely exhibited behind glass.

Did you all notice that this is the only discussion Meerkat and Stan have participated in in which Stan was more correct that Meer? I thought the U.S. Copperhead was the least poisonous of the pit vipers.

There is a small area in SE Nebraska with a viable population of Timber Rattlesnakes. A while back Phyllis, a mutual friend and I went to see if we could find any. The friend lifted up a piece of corregated metal roofing and said, there's one. What I was was a Copperhead. Fortunatly I didn't argue since I was pretty sure he knew one from the other but I was a bit confused for a few seconds. There was both species within a couple of feet of each other. He saw only the rattlesnake and I saw only the Copperhead. Both are rather brightly colored when one finally focuses on them. Interesting how the camoflage works. Beautiful animals. AND, the eat rats.

[Wild Dingo]

Will you cut it out with mentionin beautiful alongside snake?? :mad: the words are diameticrally opposed and tis a total oxymoron to have them associated together... snakes are NOT beautiful theyre evil slitherin slimey mongrel creatures they try to kill you one way or the other!... any critter that fails to wink should be tucker plain and simple... beautiful snakes? strewth! :rolleyes:

ahem ;) 1080 is a poison used to eradicate feral animals here we use it to get rid of wild dogs rabbits and goats... mongrel stuff.

as for the quotes! :D ripper! particular of interest to this thread is number 18 man that guy was soooo honest... really quite unAustralian of him! ;) and the drop bears!! :D gawd soooooooooo good to get a laugh! ;)

Loved it! :cool:

[Wild Wassa]

Meer, 1080 is a poison. I think it has been banned here in the ACT. It is (or was) added to grains that are left in piles for feral pigs and laced in meats for foxes and other ferals. It is meant to kill the ferels, unfortunatelly it will poison the natives. When the animals die scavengers (like Tassy Devils), will eat the carcass, injesting the 1080. It might not always kill the scavenger outright, but as has been written, the side effects can be just as tragic and compounding along the food chain.

Here in the ACT National Parks (land owners are different) they put the 1080 in a once off use trap, so that when the feral eat the laced food, the trap closes on the bait, and stops the natives from getting access. It is just a shame that the natives can be the first to discover the trap. 1080 is not nice, it causes severe internal hemoraging.

Warren.

[ 07-06-2004, 08:16 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Meerkat]

I've read and seen pics of various Ozzie animoux with bumps and other deformities (skin cancers) and the hole in the ozone layer and the high UV down under was claimed as the cause.

[Paul Pless]

I thought the U.S. Copperhead was the least poisonous of the pit vipers. I think your right, but due to their camoflauge, attitude, and sheer numbers they bite more people than any other snake, in the US at least.

[ 07-05-2004, 01:13 PM: Message edited by: Paul Pless ]

[Wild Wassa]

The UV warnings over here are often as short as 10-15 minutes maximum exposure, cloudy days misslead. When visitors come to Oz from the northern hemisphere, the intensity of the light and UV can be very dangerous. You only have to look at casualty departments full of international visitors who have been sunbaking, for as little as half an hour. The pale skin Celts burn better than most. Small children take the brunt of their parents lack of understanding. If you take a child into a casualty department, with extreme sunburn, ... don't be surprised if you are charged with child abuse or neglect, this could ruin a holiday, it did for one English family. I put a posting on the forum when it happened, the parents were on TV complaining about the tough justice. The kids were in the serious burns unit. The mother said, "they were only in the sun for three hours."

Our white sandy beaches, don't help.

Warren.

[ 07-06-2004, 08:18 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[NormMessinger]

Shane, snakes are not slimmy.

Back in the good old days when I was a young buck ranger at Grand Canyon I kept a big bullsnake which when I was on the visitor center information desk I would let wrap around my hat as a hat band and lay the hat on the desk counter. When a visitor would come up with a question I'd touch the snake with a finger just enough to get it to hump up a bit. "Is it real?" they'd ask and I'd take it from there. I educated a lot of people about snakes. Until.... This one lady let out a whoop, ran into the women's toilet and wouldn't come out until her husband assured her the snake and snake handler was gone. The boss decided I should let Harry go and stick to pictures and stuff.

There is a subspecies of the Prairie Rattlesnake that lives in Grand Canyon, the Pink Rattlesnake, that is a earthy reddish pinkish sort of color.

[Wild Dingo]

Happens every year Warren... Brits seem to be the worst for some reason sit out there sweltering and let the kids go for it 2 - 3 - 4 hours at a time... lobster anyone? :mad:

Remember when I built the tree house up in Broome back in 81 a young brit fella gave me a hand fresh from Britian to Perth to Broome still pure lilly white... I told him to keep his shirt on and wear the hat I gave him told him to put some of that goop on but "no way if you can do it so can I"... and after little over a half an hour without his shirt on or a hat he passed out so tossed him into the car and off to the hospital and mate he was on the next plane south... bloody near cooked him from the inside!

The Aussie summer is a true bastard!!! wear protection... that should meet the tourists right at eyeball level as they walk down the runway from the plane!... they run an add here "slip slop slap" slip on a shirt slop on the goop and slap on a hat... makes good sence!... tourists should be legally bound to do it whenever they venture outdoors here heavy fine deportation whatever it takes to make them wake up!

Course me I rarely wear a shirt and even rarer wear a hat and NEVER wear the goop as it makes me blister! :eek: I also rarely wear shoes but thats just me and Ive been doin it all me life in all weather :cool:

[Wild Dingo]

Originally posted by NormMessinger:
Shane, snakes are not slimmy. I know that Norm mate I just cant think of other powerful enough words to convey my feelings about those creatures! Purely detest them... with one preclusion... they sure taste good! :cool:

[Wild Wassa]

Dingo, I haven't eaten snake and I won't eat a mangrove worm even if it was offered. Norm, mangrove worms are slimy, they look slimy, some are as long as snakes and you swallow them whole, just like a sword swallower. I do feel like I'm missing out not having had snake.

Warren.

[ 07-06-2004, 03:08 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Dingo]

Warren give em a hoi!!! really its great tuckker and mate you gotta have a taste sooner or later so give them bloke a call and get them to cook you up some!... mighty good :cool:

[Greg H]

I don't mind looking at snakes from a distance, but it's too bloody hot down there to do any running
Being a fair skinned celt type that likes cool shade and all...
Warren, do you know much about the Dream Time and sacred sites.....

[Hal Forsen]

Snake, Shmake
We have had two deaths by Cougar
(Mountain Lion,Puma,Catamount) here in less than 6 months.
Talk about SBD!
HF

[Phil Young]

Honestly guys, what a lot of "my willy is bigger than yours" bull****e. There are snakes in Oz, but they aren't a problem you need to worry about. Its hot in summer on the mainland, but the enquiry was about Tassie. The weather there in Sept will be coolish, but lovely. tassie is a great spiot to visit, ots of fantastic scenery, wilderness, nice boats. The south east corner, from Hobart down is great, semi civilised, the west is pretty wild.

Much better than sticky tropics.

[shamus]

I'll have to side with Phil here Warren. We have plenty of them here, but not all the species you mention so maybe thats the diff. When I had small children I used to knock them off if they were near the house. Don't bother now. My family could tell you a story about getting me out of the shower to get after a snake. I pulled on a pair of blunnies and a dressing gown (no belt). That was flapping open and I was feeling somewhat insecure as I got after him. Then a few years ago my young daughter gave a sort of skip as she came in the back door.. "Snake here daddy" she says in a matter of fact sort of voice. That one ended up in the laundry and I had to shut myself in with him to get him. These days its actually illegal to kill a snake here unless it is presenting a clear threat. Just occasionally if you back them into a corner they will get very aggressive and are extremely fast. But its my belief that most people who get bitten are trying to interfere with them, when if they left them alone they'd be fine.

[Wild Dingo]

Originally posted by Phil Young:
Honestly guys, what a lot of "my willy is bigger than yours" bull****e. There are snakes in Oz, but they aren't a problem you need to worry about. Its hot in summer on the mainland, but the enquiry was about Tassie. The weather there in Sept will be coolish, but lovely. tassie is a great spiot to visit, ots of fantastic scenery, wilderness, nice boats. The south east corner, from Hobart down is great, semi civilised, the west is pretty wild.

Much better than sticky tropics.tongue.gif sour puss! we were just havin a bit of fun mate settle... and different areas do have different numbers of snakes

Note: Here in Mandurah we get a LOT of Dugites throughout summer along with the occasional brown or black snake... in the north we get them all... Cararvon is known to have lines of whip snakes rolling down the track out near Bibbawarra bore... although not deadly they are buggars of things and personally although not scientifically when Ive seen whips Ive seen browns blacks and several other forms

Just different locations mate... summer though as Warren says rides between 30 and 40C here... over in Tazzy its probably cooler I wouldnt know thats Shamus's territory :cool:

[NormMessinger]

Now that the thread has been thoroughly hijacked: Tell me more about the mangrove worm. Lynn told me about an earthworm that lives there that is a meter long. Is this perhaps what you call a mangrove worm? Surely they would be too full of gritty dirt to eat.

[Meerkat]

How do snakes get into letter boxes?

Last time I recall hearing about something like that here, it was done on purpose and the perpetrators where arrested for attempted murder.

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by NormMessinger:
"Now that the thread has been thoroughly hijacked"

Has the thread been hijacked or has the question already been responded to, someone could come from deep in the outfield. Has anyone offered more serious thoughts apart from Chuck, Shamus (who is the resident expert on Tassy) and Dingo and me? I'll remove all references to Australian snakes and any reference to the ACT, after I finish writing this.

One thing I failed to mention earlier, and further to Phil's comment that snakes aren't a real problem is: I totally agree, but a snake that you try to kill and fail to kill, is a totally different snake to a snake that you just attempt to pick up (if you have the professional wrangler skills).

"Tell me more about the mangrove worm."

In the northern tropics if you cut a mangrove, halfway up the trunk, then fold the trunk back, or cut a concave in the trunk, from the hollow you can pull out a Mangrove Worm. The worms are long, up to .6 of a metre. Holding the tip of the tail, with two fingers tightly held together, slide the fingers down to the head in one movement. This will clear the grit. Swallow the live worm ... in one go. That is the only way I've seen them eaten, and only on TV.

"Lynn told me about an earthworm that lives there that is a meter long."

The giant Victorian earthworm can grow to over 2 metres long. The Vics will know. I don't think that they are edible, or I should say, I havent seen a reference to them being edible.

Warren.

[ 07-06-2004, 08:23 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Wassa]

Since it's been hijacked why not.

Meerkat, After the fires, small and large mammals and birds came into the city, followed by the snakes. The snakes are usually the last to flee a fire, most perish. The birds of prey patrol the fire's edge, taking as many fleeing animals as they can. When I was on the job I used to watch this. With no food left in the forests, the snakes follow and don't return to the forests because there is nothing there for them. That's why the snakes caused trouble immediately after the fires.

An Australian snake, of those species that I'd previously mentioned (and now removed), apart from the Death Adder, can lift their head and upper trunks right off the ground, the Northern Taipan (not in our area) will bite above the belt and even above nipple height.

The snakes just stick their head into letterboxes, then follow it in through any sized slot. No letterbox is much above a metre and they're often beside bushes and many boxes are only at knee height. In my area people don't maintain there boxes well, you can find uninstalled boxes sitting on the ground. The snake just goes in, it's safe for them and not unlike a slit in a hollow log. Very large piles of damaged trees, have been graded into kilometres of windrows beside the suburbs now (again because of the last fires), these are new snake habitats.

I didn't see the report of the snake deliberately placed in the letter box did it happen in the US?

For the Territory to broadcast snake warnings it needs to be more than just a few bites to humans. They don't consider the odd bite or a dozen dead dogs as as something that warrents this.


Yesterday a woman in Canberra was attacked by a kangaroo. Mobs of kangaroos came into town looking for food after the fires and haven't left. Many people have called for their numbers to be culled because of the high concentrations. Last night the local government made an announcement, that Canberrans live in nature and close to nature and the Roo numbers will not be touched.

A kangaroo? No one expects a kangaroo to attack a person in the suburbs unless the animal is hastled by a person or their dog. It will be in today's local newspaper, 'The Canberra Times'. In fact it made the national news, ... :confused: .

A death caused by a Puma or a Cougar (from Hal's posting) should, but a kangaroo scratch? It must have been posted as a warning to yuppie suburbanites.

Warren.

[ 07-06-2004, 08:43 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Meerkat]

The "snake in the mailbox" episode happened in San Francisco some years ago in connection with some sort of political in-figthing for the leadership of a residential rehabilitation center for narcotics abusers. I think it was/is called Delany Street. Someone wanted the Director gone.

The snake used was a rattlesnake as I recall and those are not very common in San Francisco - far too chilly for most reptiles. ;) There is no doubt that someone had to go to some trouble to find and put this snake in the intended victim's mailbox.

The mailbox in question was probably near chest high (call it 1.2 - 1.5m) as are most mailboxes on private dwellings.

[ahp]

A lady we know found a snake coiled up in her mail box at the Post Office a few years ago, and she wasn't even running for public office!

[Phil Young]

OK, whatever, who wants murcans coming over here and loudmouthing all over the place anyway!!

Speaking of "my willy is bigger than yours", Shamus, you trying to tell us something mate with that story about how you felt nervous with your dressing gown flapping open? Thought Mr Happy might be mistaken for a bloody great brown snake???? I've never had that fear I have to confess.

As for the WAsteland, if you like sand dunes, low scrub and ticks, great spot. ;)

[Wild Dingo]

Originally posted by Phil Young:
As for the WAsteland, if you like sand dunes, low scrub and ticks, great spot. ;) aaaaaaahhh strewth Phil... that smarts tongue.gif

See obveously you aint been down to Pemberton eh? the valley of the giants bloody great Karri trees? no low lyin scrub down that ways... what about up to the Bungles? nope? ah see now theres low scrub but some of the most amazin countryside

And snakes!.... ah well tis true Im afraid Wait Awhile {wasteland indeed!! flamin uppity crow eater! tongue.gif } anyways WA does have snakes throughout the state but then heck its bigger than all those eastern states places put together so of course it has more! just goes to reason is all :rolleyes: big place both tropical to freezing and everything between its gotta eh? heavy forest to grasslands to farmlands vinyards to mountain ranges to deserts to bush and low lying scrub I mean we have everything here so we gots snakes by the bucket load... stands to reason!

I mean WaitAwhile is like having everything from San Fran to Nebraska to Georgia Louisianna to Texas Seattle and everything inbetween {except NY cause we dont have a bloody great city like that one!} all rolled into one big state... Love it cause its got everything! Yous eastern staters just gotta get over your jealousy one day right? :D

Mind you the best King Brown I saw was in South Aussie up in Oodnadatta... mongrel buggar it was not worried about some pesky humanoid in its territory no way!... but well nice tucker all the same :cool:

I guess its a regional thing eh mate? suburbanites rarely see snakes specially when the developers bulldose every inch of scrub and replace the whole lot with concrete and imported plants eh?... living close to the estuary we find that summer brings Dugites by the dozen and a more recent development has bought a few brownies in from the fringes of the waterways and pockets of bush about the place... and as theyre getting more used to people as their normal habitat gets munched under the dozers and concrete and they need to foray further into suburbia for tucker... same in England I believe with the foxes coming into suburbia for food... they just adapt to survive

[Phil Young]

Dingo or whoever, a few days back I reckon someone posted a site that gives you a virtual tour or something over the top end. Buggered if I can find it now. Can you help me out? Thanks mate.

[Wild Dingo]

No idea what your talkin about Phil... wouldnt mind a gander though if you find it :cool:

[Phil Young]

Bugga

[Wild Dingo]

strewth :(